Flash bulb filling apparatus



July 23, 1963 c. F. SINDY 3,098,335

FLASH BULB FILLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 26. 1960 Flcg l.

,l AMPz/F/m 37 may lnvervtor: Clarence 1 Sindg b 11 WZQMML 9 His lr-"tor'nea United States Patent 3,098,335 FLASH BULB FILLING APPARATUS Clarence F. Sindy, Willoughby, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 52,142 Claims. (CI. 5359) This invention relates to apparatus for filling flash lamp bulbs with shredded charges of a combustible 1ightproducing material and more particularly to apparatus having a control system for detecting when a bulb is broken, or misplaced, or missing at the bulb filling station so as to prevent incorrect bulb fill or jamming of the apparatus.

In the combined shred cutting and bulb loading apparatus disclosed in Geiger Patent 2,347,046 dated April 18, 1944, and in the apparatus for automatically filling fiash bulbs disclosed in copending patent application Serial No. 52,209 filed in the names of F. V. Kolda and C. F. Sindy, now Patent No. 13,032,948, assigned to the same assignee as the instant invention, the cutting mechanism operates continuously. In doing so, shreds or strands are cut from a sheet of metallic foil and are fed to a plurality of filling heads on which lamp bulbs have been placed. Unless promptly removed in filling lamps, there may be an unwanted build-up of shredded material at the cutter which makes it imperative that lamp bulbs he placed on the filling heads and filled with the combustible material at a speed commensurate with speed of operation of the cutting mechanism.

With the automatic foil filling apparatus of the aforesaid copending patent application, broken or cracked bulbs may be inadvertently placed on the filling heads, or, infrequently a bulb may be missing for a filling cycle of the apparatus. In such instances, it is important that the broken or missing bulb be detected in time to prevent completion of a filling cycle. Preferably the charge of shredded material is diverted to prevent manufacture of a defective bulb and also to prevent unwanted build-up of the unused shredded material in the apparatus. The aforesaid unusual operating conditions of a missing or defective bulb are taken care of by apparatus of the instant invention which, under such circumstances, diverts one or more charges of the shredded material away from the cutting mechanism to a collecting chamber.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved flash bulb filling apparatus having a control system which will detect a broken or defective bulb and prevent filling of the bulb with a charge of combustible light-producing material.

Another object of the invention is to provide automatic flash bulb filling apparatus having means to detect when a bulb is missing from the fill position to prevent delivery of a charge of shredded combustible material to such position.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for automatically filling bulbs with charges of shredded light-producing material in which provision is made to divert the charge away from the filling station on which the bulb is mounted in those instances in which the bulb is cracked, or missing, or incorrectly positioned at the station.

Briefly, these and other objects of the invention are effected by flash bulb filling apparatus which is provided with a cutting mechanism for producing shreds or filaments of combustible material from a sheet of metallic foil, a plurality of filling heads for introducing the shredded material into the interior of the bulbs, and a vacuum system for transporting a charge of the shredded material from the cutting mechanism to the filling heads. A control means for the vacuum system operates so that each filling head alternates with the other in drawing 3,098,335 Patented July 23, 1963 shredded material from the cutting mechanism. In accordance with the invention, the apparatus includes a scanning mechanism operatively connected to the vacuum system, the mechanism having a photocell so located that a light beam to the photocell is interrupted or refracted when a light bulb is properly placed in position on the filling head. Under such circumstances, the filling apparatus operates in a normal manner. However, should a broken or cracked bulb be inserted on the filling head, or a bulb omitted during a filling cycle, the light pattern applied to the photocell will be varied so that the scanning mechanism operates the vacuum system to discontinue transport of a charge of shredded material to the filling head. At the same time, the charge of material may be diverted to a collecting chamber in order to prevent any accumulation of charges in the vacuum system or other parts of the apparatus.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional View through a bulb filling apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the essential elements of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus is provided with a shred cutting mechanism including a rotary cutter 1, and a bulb filling mechanism including two bulb filling heads 22. Both mechanisms are of the type disclosed in the aforementioned Geiger Patent 2,347,046. Both are used in conjunction with mechanism for feeding lamp bulbs to the filling heads including suction cups 3-3' for automatically placing lamp bulbs 4 on the filling heads 2-2', as disclosed in the aforesaid Kolda and Sindy patent application Serial No. 52,209. A charge of shreds is taken from the cutter 1 to each of the filling heads 22', in turn, by the separate transport tubes 55 extending therebetween, each charge being measured and directed through one or the other of the transport tubes 5-5 by the control afforded by a cam 6 and cam operated switch 7 of the driving means for the cutter 1. A further control mechanism for the filling heads 22' and the connected shred transport tubes 55', renders these systems inactive when bulbs 4 are either missing from the heads 22' or are broken in a manner to change the refraction of light beams directed across each head 22 between light sources 8-8 and photocells 9-9'. Such control mechanism prevents a charge of the shreds produced by the cutting mechanism from clogging or otherwise disturbing the effectiveness of the shred transport systems by causing the transport systems to be inoperative and the shreds to be withdrawn from the area of the cutter 1 by an auxiliary transport system including a suction tube 10. Such control mechanism includes solenoid valves 11-11' and '12, respectively, which control a vacuum connection thereto and so the circulation of vacuum and air through the systems.

Specifically, the cutter 1 is the source of the shreds of combustible light-producing material and creates, in the course of its rotation, a succession of shreds at a uniform rate by the shearing action of the plurality of cutting edges about its periphery with respect to the stationary knife edge 13 on the bed 14 of the cutting apparatus. The shreds are automatically cut from the forward edge of a thin sheet 15 of metallic combustible material which is advanced across the knife edge 13 at a uniform rate by the rotation of the feed rolls 16 and 17.

During all normal periods of operation of the apparatus, shreds are immediately picked up and carried to the bulb 4 in one or the other of the filling heads 2-2 by the air sucked by vacuum into and through a transport tube 5 or 5. The particular filling head 2 or 2 and transport tube 5 or 5' in use at any moment depends upon the position of the high and low portions of a cam 6 with respect to the switch 7 wlnch form the control for determining both the quantity of the charge of shreds in the loading for each bulb 4 and the particular filling head 2 or 2 which will receive the charge. The cam 6 is turned at a fixed rate with respect to the rotation of the cutter 1 inasmuch as it is mounted upon a shaft 18 of a speed reducer 19 which is, in turn, driven by a shaft 20 of the cutter 1 and maintains an inter-locked position with respect thereto regardless of how fast the cutter 1 is driven from the source (not shown) through a belt 21 and pulley 22. Cam 6 is equally divided between high and low portions and, accordingly, maintains the switch 7 at its alternate switching positions, at which the line connection 23 is made through the circuits 24 or 24 to the vacuum control valves 11 or 11', for equal moments of time and the manufacture of an equal charge of shreds. The function of the vacuum control valve 11 or 11 is, in each case, to allow a source of vacuum to withdraw the air from the hollow interior of the bulb 4 and the filling head 2 or 2 through the lines 25 or 25 and thereby cause air and the shreds to be pulled through transport tube 5 or 5 and the inlet tube 26 or 26' into the interior of the bulbs. The bulbs 4 seat firmly upon gaskets 27 or 27 (FIG. 1) in the filling heads 2-2 so that no leakage of air disturbs the air flow entraining the shreds to the bulbs 4 and the shreds are normally carried into the upper bulbous parts of the bulbs 4. Further details of the construction and function of the filling heads 2-2 appear in the aforesaid Geiger Patent 2,347,046.

The alternate use of the filling heads 2-2 permits a filled bulb 4 to be removed from one head and be replaced with another empty bulb 4, while another bulb in the other head is receiving a charge of shreds. As de scribed in the Geiger patent, the bulbs 4 can be inserted in and removed manually from the filling heads 2-2 or, as described in the aforesaid F. V. Kolda and Sindy patent application Serial No. 52,209, the bulbs can be loaded automatically by means of the suction cups 3-3.

Briefly, this automatic apparatus includes a spindle 28' for supporting cup 3' to move it vertically to carry the bulb 4 in and out of the filling head 2. This vertical motion results from a corresponding motion of a supporting carriage 29 and a yoke 30' and is initiated by means (not shown) connected to the main driving means of the apparatus which vertically moves the support columns 31' and 32 for the yoke 30. The sideward motion of the cup 3, required to complete the automatic exchange of the bulbs 4 is likewise generated in the carriage 29 and is transferred thereto from the main driving means through a rotatable shaft 33 extending upwardly through the support column 32' and a gear 34 on the upper end of the shaft 33 which meshes with a rack 35 on the carriage 29. Rotation of the gear moves the rack 35' and carriage 29 laterally to bring the lamp bulbs into and out of alignment with the filling head 2.

Regardless of whether the bulbs 4 are placed in the filling heads 2-2 manually or automatically, certain occasions arise when a bulb 4 is partially broken or completely missing from one or the other of the filling heads 2-2. When so positioned in the cycle of operation, switch 7 is operated to cause energization of the solenoid valve 11 or 11 to connect its corresponding head 2 or 2' to the vacuum supply. At that particular moment, the area normally occupied by the bulb 4 is scanned by a light beam directed over the filling head 2 or 2 from a light source 8 or 8 projected toward a photocell 9 or 9. Should the beam not be properly refracted away from the photocell 9-9, a broken or missing bulb 4 is indicated and the electrical circuit to either the solenoid valve 11 or 11' is interrupted. The photocells 9 and 9 inactivate the solenoid valves 11 and 11, respectively, by causing the amplifier relays 36 and 36, respectively, to break the circuit between the line lead 37 or 37 and the solenoid leads 38 or 38 and in so doing prevent energization of the solenoid valves. This means that vacuum is not applied to the transport tubes 5-5 so that charges of the shreds are not drawn into the tubes. This prevents any build up of shred charges within the tubes or filling heads. The leads 39-39 connecting the amplifier relays 36-36 and the opposite terminals of the solenoid valves 11-11' provide the opposite line circuit to the amplifier relays 36-36 through the switch 7 and provide the means of limiting the interval of operation of each relay to that provided by the corresponding closure time of switch 7. The light sources 8-8 operate continuously as they are directly connected to the line through the leads 40, the transformer 41 and leads 42.

The sensitivity of the scanning function is in part dependent upon the portion of the bulb 4 which intercepts the beam from the light sources 8-8 inasmuch as the bulbs 4 are normally made of clear glass and can only effect the beam by refraction thereof. To this end, it is preferred that the axis of the beam be either above the center of the bulb 4 and the ends of the shred inlet tubes 26-26, as shown by the drawing, or else that the axis be to one side of the center of the bulb 4 and the shred inlet tubes 26-26. This means that the light beam intercepts the bulb surface at an oblique angle and is refracted away from the photocells 9-9 sufiiciently to effect an appreciable change in the electrical output thereof. The axial or laterally offset positions of the light beam are also capable of discovering bulbs 4 in certain offcenter positions, where air can leak into the filling head 2 around the gasket and interfere with the proper filling of the bulb 4. In such olf-center position, the light beam striking the bulb surface does not refract the light to the same extent as a properly positioned bulb and therefore actuates the photocell. The same is true when the bulb is cracked or broken so that part is missing. In all such instances, the photocell is actuated to prevent operation of the solenoid valves 11-11 so that a charge of filamentary material is not delivered to the filling head.

Further to prevent any accumulation of shred charges within the apparatus which could interfere with proper loading, the unused charge of shreds formed opposite the cutter 1, when the shred transport tubes 5-5' are made inactive, is drawn away from any interferring position by an auxiliary transport or collector system which includes the suction tube 10. The aforementioned switching operations performed by the amplifier relays 36 and 36 in activating and deactivating the transport tubes 5-5 also activates the auxiliary transport system by energizing vacuum valve 12. To accomplish this the alternate switching positions of the amplifier relays 36-36 connect the line leads 37-37 to the leads 43-43 ex tending to the vacuum valve 12 of the collector system. Accordingly, a source of vacuum is caused to draw air through the system comprised of the suction tube 10, a collecting container 45 and a pipe line 46. Lead 44 provides a direct connection from the valve 12 to the line and completes the circuit connections thereto.

The shreds that are pulled into the tube 10 and the collecting container 45 are prevented from passing further into the system and possibly interferring with the operation of the valve 12 by a screen 47 placed over the mouth of the suction pipe line 46. Still other means are provided to prevent the shreds from entering the vacuum valves 11-11 and 12 of the transport tubes 5-5' and suction tube 10, respectively, in the actual embodiment of the apparatus appearing in FIG. 1, this means being in the form of traps 48 in the lines through which the air is drawn to the valves.

The flash bulb filling apparatus is one in which automatic control means is provided to prevent improper filling of defective bulbs and in which means is provided to collect charges of shredded material in those instances in which a bulb is not in proper position to be filled.

While the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without actually departing from the invention. Therefore, I aim in the appended claims to cover all such equivalent variations as come within the true spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for filling a flash lamp bulb with a charge of shredded light-producing material comprising, in combination, cutting mechanism for producing a charge of shredded material, a filling head receiving the open neck of a lamp bulb to mount the bulb on said head, means including a vacuum system for transporting the charge from said cutting mechanism to said filling head for insertion into the interior of the bulb, an auxiliary transport system for removing the charge from said cutting mechanism, and means responsive to mounting of a detective bulb on said filling head to stop operation of said first transporting means and start operation or said auxiliary transport system.

2. Apparatus for filling a flash lamp bulb with a charge of shredded light-producing material comprising, in combination, cutting mechanism for producing a charge of shredded material, a filling head receiving the open neck of a lamp bulb to mount the bulb on said head, transporting means including a vacuum system for transporting the charge from said cutting mechanism to said filling head for insertion into the interior of the bulb, an auxiliary transport system for removing the charge from said cutting mechanism, and means being operative to stop operation of said first transporting means and start operation of said auxiliary transport system, said last mentioned means including a light source and photocell arranged so that a light bulb on said filling head retracts light rays from the light source away from the photocell.

3. Apparatus for filling flash lamp bulbs with charges of shredded light-producing combustible material com prising, in combination, a cutting mechanism for producing shreds continuously from a strip of the material, a plurality of filling heads each adapted to receive the open neck of a lamp bulb to mount the bulb on said head, a transport tube extending from each head to a point adjacent the cutting mechanism to receive a charge of shredded material, means including a valve for applying vacuum to each head so that a charge of shredded material may be drawn from said cutting mechanism and transported through the corresponding tube to the filling head for insertion into a mounted lamp bulb, an auxiliary transport system for removing the charge from said cutting mechanism, means operated by the cutting mechanism to open each of said valves in sequence to apply vacuum to one filling head after the other, a photocell and energizing light source adjacent each filling head so arranged as to scan the area occupied by a bulb mounted on the head, and means responsive to the outputs of said photocells to prevent operation of the corresponding valves and start operation of said auxiliary transport system.

4. Apparatus for filling flash lamp bulbs with charges of shredded light-producing combustible material comprising, in combination, a cutting mechanism for producing shreds from a strip of the material, a plurality of filling heads each adapted to receive a lamp bulb, a collecting container, transport tubes extending from the heads and said collecting container to points adjacent the cutting mechanism to receive charges of shredded material, first means including first valves to connect a vacuum source to each head to draw a charge of shredded material from the cutting mechanism through the transport tubes to the filling heads upon opening of said first valves, a second means including a second valve to connect a vacuum source to the collecting container to draw a charge of shredded material from the cutting mechanism through the transport tube to the collecting container, a photocell and energizing light source adjacent each filling head so arranged as to scan the area occupied by a bulb mounted on the head, and means responsive to the output of said photocells to prevent opening of the first valves and simultaneously open the second valve.

5. Apparatus for filling flash lamp bulbs with charges of shredded light-producing combustible material comprising, in combination, a cutting mechanism for producing shreds continuously from a strip of the material, a plurality of filling heads each adapted to receive a lamp bulb, a collecting chamber, transport tubes extending from the heads and said collecting chamber to points adjacent the cutting mechanism, first means including first valves to connect a vacuum source to each head to draw a charge of shredded material from the cutting mechanism through the transport tubes to the filling heads upon opening of said first valves, means operated by the cutting mechanism to open each of said first valves in sequence to apply vacuum to one filling head after the other, a second means including a second valve to connect a vacuum source to the collecting chamber, photocells adjacent each filling head, cooperating light sources mounted to project light rays across the spaces normally occupied by light bulbs mounted on the heads to control energization of said photocells, and means responsive to the outputs of said photocells to prevent opening of the first valves and simultaneously open the second valve to draw a charge of shredded material from the cutting mechanism through the transport tube to the collecting chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,958,243 lllingworth May 8, 1934 2,259,777 Politsch et a1 Oct. 21, 1941 2,347,046 Geiger Apr. 18, 1944 2,934,869 Engleson et al May 3, 1960 

1. APPARATUS FOR FILLING A FLASH LAMP BULB WITH A CHARGE OF SHREDDED LIGHT-PRODUCING MATERIAL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, CUTTING MECHANISM FOR PRODUCING A CHARGE OF SHREDDED MATERIAL, A FILLING HEAD RECEIVING THE OPEN NECK OF A LAMP BULB TO MOUNT THE BULB ON SAID HEAD, MEANS INCLUDING A VACUUM SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORTING THE CHARGE FROM SAID CUTTING MECHANISM TO SAID FILLING HEAD FOR INSERTION INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE BULB, AN AUXILIARY TRANSPORT SYSTEM FOR REMOVING THE CHARGE FROM SAID CUTTING MECHANISM, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOUNTING OF A DEFECTIVE BULB ON SAID FILLING HEAD TO STOP OPERATION OF SAID FIRST TRANSPORTING MEANS AND START OPERATION OF SAID AUXILIARY TRANSPORT SYSTEM. 